NRO’s David Azerrad calls the article “deeply flawed” on even the basics of the Constitution, and Michelle Malkin notes how Stengel conveniently hides behind the First Amendment when it comes to journalism but seemingly wants to disregard the rest of it.

It’s old. And dusty.

Yesterday I was cleaning out my elderly mother’s garage when I found a copy of the July 4^th, 1976 Bicentennial issue of Time Magazine. The special edition issue was structured “to reconstruct  with the tools of both history and journalism, and in our [Time’s] distinctive newsmagazine format, at least part of the life and soul of the events that gave birth to our nation”.

(Click on the linked photo to read the full letter from Grunwald.)

Imagine my surprise to read in it a letter from then-managing editor Henry A. Grunwald opining how “refreshing it is to return to our origins, to our fundamental values, and to try to illuminate how earlier Americans saw the world and their place in it.” Grunwald even goes so far as to suggest our nation actually was founded on Divine Providence by offering a quote from George Mason, author of the Virginia Constitution”:

“Taking a retrospective view on what has passed, we seem to be treading upon enchanted ground.”

Each department heading that normally appears every week in the magazine thoughtfully reported on life as it was during the week of July 4th, 1776. The Nation, this is the largest segment taking up over half of the whole magazine, reported on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It included a full page on how the document was edited by Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson, another lengthy report on the chronology of events leading up to Independence, the inspirational forebears of the Document itself including Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and John Locke, along with numerous profiles of the Declaration signers and of the colonies themselves.

The World section included reports on happenings in Britain under King George III along with a profile of Empress Catherine II of Russia, and report of Captain James Cook return to Haiti. The Religion segment differentiated the beliefs of the main American religions of the time; Theatre contained a review  London actor David Garrick farewell performance at the Drury Lane theatre; Music reviewed Christopher Willibald Gluck’s French Opera ‘Alceste’; and even Modern Living provided the latest in ladies powdered wigs styles.

So, it only took 35 years for Time Magazine to go from thoughtful retrospection and reverence of our founding era and documents to wondering if they are, in the case of Stengal, irrelevant.

An article released this morning by FreedomWorks reveals that Congressman Fred Upton has discovered in the PPACA (Obamacare Law) an UNLIMITED slush fund for the implementation of Obamacare.

Just when we thought there were no more brazen audacities left to report about in Obamacare, here comes a doozy.

House Republicans have uncovered, tucked away in Section 1311(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), an UNLIMITED Obamacare implementation slush fund.

That’s right.  Unlimited.

An open tap on the US Treasury, this little gem — discovered by Representative Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee — can be used for anything the President wants to spend taxpayer money on, under the guise of “actitivites related to establishing” Obamacare health benefit exchanges.

(Emphasis mine)

The article goes on to includes the actual language from the law which appropriates  “…any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated” to the Secretary of HHS to be used for implementation of the Act.

The urgent matter this creates is regarding the upcoming Debt Ceiling vote.

Many legislators have gone on record as being in favor of raising the debt ceiling as long as there are meaningful reforms attached, i.e. Balanced Budget Amendment or a cap tied to the GDP.

However, now that we know HHS has the authority to utilize ALL un-appropriated funds in the Treasury, that now makes a vote to raise the debt ceiling, regardless of any strings attached, also a vote to implement Obamacare. As soon as the debt ceiling is raised, those funds then become available to President Obama via Kathleen Sebelius to do whatever he wishes in the name of Obamacare.

Please contact your Congressman and Senators aware of this provision and urge them to vote AGAINST any increase in the debt ceiling unless this slush fund is specifically repealed.

We MUST do everything we can to stop the takeover of our health care and NOW is the time to take action.

UPDATE: My Congressman’s office (Westmoreland R-GA3) advised that Rep. Fred Upton has submitted a bill to repeal section 1311(a) of the PPACA. Of course we all know it will go absolutely nowhere in the Senate.

One of the most important gains that John Boehner garnered in this week’s budget deal is an agreement from Harry Reid and the White House that the new bureaucracy created under Dodd-Frank, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPA), will now be subject to mandatory audits.

MANDATORY AUDITS OF THE NEW JOB-CRUSHING BUREAUCRACY SET UP UNDER DODD-FRANK.  The agreement subjects the so-called Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created by the job-destroying Dodd-Frank law to yearly audits by both the private sector and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to monitor its impact on the economy, including its impact on jobs, by examining whether sound cost-benefit analysis are being used with rulemakings.

This agency is headed up by radical leftist Progressive Elizabeth Warren who has so far avoided any confirmation process and was instead appointed as a ‘special adviser’ (read Czar) to oversee the creation of the agency although she is clearly running things.

For starters, what should be disconcerting to everyone is that the man who recommended the White House hire Warren for the job is Stephen Lerner. He was recently exposed as SEIU big-wig who wants to initiate a second financial meltdown and specifically target JP Morgan Chase for destruction. He’s also visited the White House at least four times and, according to Glenn Beck, has had meetings with Elizabeth Warren at the Treasury Department as recently as last December to discuss implementation of the financial reform bill.

But that’s not all.

The CPFA, which is slated to begin operating in July of this year, will regulate banks and firms, including mortgage brokers, payday lenders and credit unions; examine banks and credit unions with assets of more than $10 billion; and oversee certain other non-bank financial firms. The bureau could impose fines or ask courts to order relief.

A scathing editorial in the WSJ titled “The Incredible Ms. Warren writes (emphasis mine):

The bureau [CFPA] is part of the Federal Reserve System, but the Dodd-Frank law that created it explicitly says that Fed Governors can’t “intervene” in the bureau’s functioning, “appoint, direct or remove any officer or employee” or “merge or consolidate the bureau . . . with any division or office of the Board of Governors or the Federal Reserve Banks.” So while the bureau is part of the Fed, it isn’t at all accountable to anyone at the Fed.

It goes on to describe Warren’s obfuscation of the truth in which she told Congress that the bureau is “the only agency whose rules can be overruled, obliterated, wiped out, and negated by other agencies.”:

A bureau rule may only be overturned if it endangers the “safety and soundness of the United States banking system or the stability of the financial system of the United States.” How often do you think an Administration’s financial bureaucrats will risk pulling that five-alarm-fire reason for killing a rule? The first time a consumer bureau director leaks to her media retinue that someone in government is trying to “protect the big banks,” her fellow regulators will run for cover.

CFPA is projected to employ the equivalent of more than 1,200 full-time employees in 2012, and its budget is provided from Federal Reserve funds without a need for approval by Congress.  Dodd-Frank law allows her to set her own budget based on a percentage of the earnings of the Fed, which MUST hand over the funds without question. There is no Congressional appropriation whatsoever and the budget cannot be reduced.

In another WSJ article:

“[T]his unprecedented lack of accountability is by Ms. Warren’s design. The bureau was the Harvard professor’s idea, and she lobbied the Obama Administration and Congress to make it part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform.”

For a clearer picture of this Harvard educated elitist (to the point of insulting), read Warren’s own words from a lengthy 2007 article in which she promotes her grand scheme to save all of us from ourselves.

She believes that if home-buyers had only understood the fine print on their mortgages, they would not have bought houses they couldn’t afford. Or, if their credit card contracts had been written in plainer language, they wouldn’t have charged so much.

Her goal for the CPFA is to regulate “dangerous credit products” in the same manner that toasters and other potentially harmful kitchen appliances are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). According to their website, the CPSC is charged with “protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products” such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals.”

But, the difference between your credit card and your toaster, from Warren’s typical class-warfare perspective, is that these “dangerous credit products” only hurt the poor and middle class (emphasis mine):

“If toasters are dangerous, they may burn down the homes of rich people or poor people, college graduates or high-school dropouts. But credit products are not nearly so egalitarian. Wealthy families can ignore the tricks and traps associated with credit card debt, secure in the knowledge that they won’t need to turn to credit to get through a rough patch.

…

Working- and middle-class families are far less insulated. For the family who lives closer to the economic margin, a credit card with an interest rate that unexpectedly escalates to 29.99 percent or misplaced trust in a broker who recommends a high-priced mortgage can push a family into a downward economic spiral from which it may never recover.”

Correct me if I’m wrong but my understanding is that a credit card rate only “unexpectedly escalates” when you’ve not met the terms that were agreed upon when the card was issued. Like, say for instance, when you miss or are late on your payment.

Warren has even gone so far as to insert herself (even though her agency will not be functional until July) into the DOJ’s ongoing mortgage settlement negotiations although she claims she was asked to do so as an adviser.  Under the settlement banks will be forced to write down mortgage principles in order to punish them and redistribute another $20 billion to voters before the 2012 election.

House Financial Service Committee chair Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) has introduced a bill that would replace the CPFA director position at the bureau with a five-member commission. Chamber of Commerce president Tom Donahue agrees:

“We think a bipartisan five-person commission would provide a lot more balance and accountability in the bureau’s management than a single powerful director.”

We can agree or disagree about whether Speaker Boehner’s $38.5 Billion bottom line amount in cuts is a win for Republicans.  But the over site he gained of radical leftist Progressive Elizabeth Warren is certainly a win for America.

I was so inspired when I heard them both on the Mark Levin Show last Thursday night talking about this that I made a video to help illustrate the hypocrisy of the GOP leadership and the members of the Rules Committee. So, I dug up videos from the last year of each of them proclaiming their disdain for this bill. Here it is in a montage along with Rep’s. Bachmann and King and, of course, The Great One – Levin.

Callyour Representatives on Monday and tell them to support Bachmann and King by voting No this Wednesday on the Continuing Resolution if it does not contain language to defund Obamacare.

It was a long but productive day for Republicans in Henry County, GA. The turnout was record high once again with 153 delegates attending. When I arrived shortly after 9 a.m. the line was already out the door and the place was buzzing.

There were two main agenda items for the day; vote in a new slate of officers to run the Henry County GOP for the next two years, and select our delegates for both the District and State GOP conventions coming up in April and May respectively.

Members from three local political factions participated in today’s proceedings; Henry GOP, Henry Tea Party, and Henry 9/12 Group. I heartily applaud this diversity and believe this is exactly how it was intended to be in our country with differing voices coming together to select their representatives.

As many of you know, I am committed to the Tea Party principles and believe it is in all of our best interest to maintain a significant national presence in order to keep pressure on elected officials from both parties.

That being said, I’ve learned from many of you here at RedState that the GOP is the official place to get things done in the Republican Party.  What happened in Utah’s primary election last year is a great example of how to move the GOP to the Right.

But I’m lucky in that, through my local activism in the last year, I’ve met many members of my local GOP and to be honest, I don’t think they can’t really go much further to the Right. So we Tea Party members went today, not to try and infiltrate, but rather reinforce.

But politics can be very messy and today was no exception. That notion, unfortunately, seemed to be lost on our local 9/12 group who today made a hostile takeover attempt of the entire County GOP. Their inexperience and lack of understanding of whom they were trying to oust was on full display by trying to oust the “establishment” simply for the sake of ousting. The sad part is that the entire debacle was led by a disgruntled former GOP officer who’d been relieved of her duties. She somehow managed to get these unsuspecting, well-intentioned, newly-politically-active folks to drink her Kool Aid.

I feel my first-hand experience with this 9/12 group (prior to the formation of our Tea Party) qualifies me to opine on the lack of character of its leadership.  When they endorsed an alleged pedophile for Governor of Georgia, amongst the objections of some of its members, I left the group. So much for 9 principle and 12 values, right?

Naturally, I didn’t expect they’d raised their ethical standards  and, not to disappoint, their candidate for GOP Chair was a former GA13 congressional candidate who allegedly duped all of his Republican opponents into thinking he was a donor but was really out to steal  their campaign platforms.

He was soundly defeated.

We ended up about an equal mix new officers who have not before held leadership positions in Henry GOP and just as many who have experience in previous leadership positions within the GOP. Our new Chair is a minster and fine man with extensive experience who will effectively lead us in this run up to the most important presidential election of my lifetime. As one of the candidates said today, this is not the time for on-the-job training.

Once the temper tantrums subsided the agenda moved to the convention delegate selections. My expectation was that I would be lucky to bag a spot as an alternate since I hadn’t been involved for very long. I was happy to be right about that and was selected as an alternate delegate to attend the GA3 district convention in Columbus, GA on April 15^th.

Even with my realistic expectations I was still disappointed not to be named to go to the State convention in May. Of course, being new at this and unfamiliar with the procedures, I quickly learned there would be an opportunity to bump someone out of their spot. If someone nominated you then the body voted to decide who would be the delegate.

Several of the long-time GOP members asked me if I would be willing to accept a nomination to challenge the “disgruntled ousted former GOP officer now turned 9/12 indoctrinator”. I was honored and told them I’d be glad to but I didn’t think I could get the votes to beat her. They nominated me and “disgruntled” and I each had two minutes to speak to the body to ask for their vote. I told them a little bit about my recent activism and challenged them to stand by their claims that they wanted all the groups to work together. So, why not select a Tea Party coordinator, right?

Low and behold, I won!

I mean, I realize that it was mainly a vote against “disgruntled” but I’d like to think some people actually voted for me. Either way, I’m honored and so excited to know that I’m already making a difference in the Republican Party.

For those of you here in Georgia, I’ll see you at the state convention in Macon! Until then, I’ll update again next month to fill you in on our district convention.

My county has become somewhat of a battleground county sandwiched between two of the bluest counties in the Atlanta Metro area; DeKalb and Clayton. We just lost one of our five county commissioner seats to a Democrat for the first time in the 20 years I’ve lived here. The threat of more statism this close to home is disconcerting to say the least.

To give you an idea of how many other first-timers like me came , it was announced that 144 people were in attendance today. Normally, there are 40-50. I must have a lot of neighbors who also read Cold Warrior and Ron Robinson’s diaries here at RedState!

After the invocation, pledge, and recognition of the elected officials in attendance,  the county GOP leader explained the process and then we broke out into groups by precinct. There were nine people from my precinct and we had the most in the whole county.

I already knew my existing precinct committee-person who is one of my neighbors and she was hoping to continue in that role. Since I know her to be a fellow DeMint Disciple, I proudly supported her in doing so and she was voted in unanimously. Next we voted on vice chair, treasurer, and I was voted in by the others to be the precinct secretary. Lastly, we filled out the necessary paperwork to become delegates for the county and state conventions.

It was great to meet some of my neighbors who are getting involved and I’m really looking forward to helping get my precinct informed and organized. I know now that I can make a difference.

Many of us today have our attention on the Senate as they vote on repealing Obamcare. But the repeal is actually an amendment to the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act. With that in mind, can someone explain to me why language has been inserted in this bill that will give the FAA access to federal and state criminal databases?

The FAA bill amends the laws that pertain to aviation programs under Title 49 of the US Code. Specifically, Section 505 of today’s FAA bill creates these new powers:

SEC. 505. FAA ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS OR DATABASE SYSTEMS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 401 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

`Sec. 40130. FAA access to criminal history records or databases systems

`(a) Access to Records or Databases Systems-

• `(1) Notwithstanding section 534 of title 28 and the implementing regulations for such section (28 C.F.R. part 20), the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration is authorized to access a system of documented criminal justice information maintained by the Department of Justice or by a State but may do so only for the purpose of carrying out its civil and administrative responsibilities to protect the safety and security of the National Airspace System or to support the missions of the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and other law enforcement agencies. The Administrator shall be subject to the same conditions or procedures established by the Department of Justice or State for access to such an information system by other governmental agencies with access to the system.
• `(2) The Administrator may not use the access authorized under paragraph (1) to conduct criminal investigations.

`(b) DESIGNATED EMPLOYEES- The Administrator shall, by order, designate those employees of the Administration who shall carry out the authority described in subsection (a). Such designated employees may–

• `(1) have access to and receive criminal history, driver, vehicle, and other law enforcement information contained in the law enforcement databases of the Department of Justice, or of any jurisdiction in a State in the same manner as a police officer employed by a State or local authority of that State who is certified or commissioned under the laws of that State;
• `(2) use any radio, data link, or warning system of the Federal Government and of any jurisdiction in a State that provides information about wanted persons, be-on-the-lookout notices, or warrant status or other officer safety information to which a police officer employed by a State or local authority in that State who is certified or commission under the laws of that State has access and in the same manner as such police officer; or
• `(3) receive Federal, State, or local government communications with a police officer employed by a State or local authority in that State in the same manner as a police officer employed by a State or local authority in that State who is commissioned under the laws of that State.

The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 created a FAA to oversee and regulate safety in the airline industry and control civilian and military use of the airspace over the United States. Its authority to regulate safety, I think in most people’s opinions, does not include law enforcement type public safety.

But according to this, the FAA  mission is to “protect the security of the National Airspace System.” That’s odd. I always thought that was the job of the military and/or the DOD. Besides, the TSA already has access to these databases to scrutinize passengers.

This law would allow the FAA to access to private information about private citizens, including driver’s license, vehicle, warrants, and wanted-persons information and allow them to communicate with police about it.

Why? Is the FAA now a law enforcement agency?

Republican candidate Bruce Brown is running against Maxine Waters in California’s 35th District. He has a  document dump on his campaign website outlining much of her corrupt ties. Since I despise socialists I decided to do some digging of my own on Maxine. Up until now I only knew that she was a socialist and that she was being investigated for her role in securing TARP funds for her husband’s bank. What has become clear to me now is that the Lame Stream Media ™ is intentionally ignoring reporting on her because if the average citizen knew the details of her actions and relationships there would be a national movement to unseat her.

There is so much more to this woman than OneUnited scandal. She is a very vocal supporter of corrupt ousted Haitian dictator and Black Liberation Theologist Jean-Bertrand Aristide, She is also closely tied to the organization TransAfrica Forum run by socialist sympathizer Randall Robinson and communist Danny Glover.

I doubt we will ever know the extent of her (and her husband’s) corruption but the picture that is painted when one takes a closer look seems almost treasonous. She clearly believes her constituency to be every African descendant in the Western Hemisphere and not the citizens of the California 35th Congressional District. I have no smoking gun here but it is past time for Maxine Waters actions and allegiances to be more commonly understood. I hope that this brief expose will help educate people on a Congressional Representative whose priorities, I believe, are questionable at best.

ACK!!!!  PUT DOWN ALL BEVERAGES BEFORE VIEWING THIS PICTURE OF MAXINE!

My Research on Maxine Waters

Randall Robinson is the executive director and founder of the organization TransAfrica, which helped to spearhead the movement to influence U.S. policies toward Africa and the Caribbean and helped to lead the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Go here for a lengthy insight into his beliefs from a speech he gave on his book “The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks”. He is also a Cuban sympathizer according to this reprinted article from Maoist International Movement.

From TransAfrica Forum MySpace page:

“TransAfrica Forum is the oldest and largest African American human rights and social justice advocacy organization promoting diversity and equity in the foreign policy arena and justice for the African World.”

Known Communist Danny Glover is Chairman of the Board of TransAfrica Forum. Glover says the primary goal of the organization “is to promote progressive U.S. policy towards Africa and Diaspora, including the 150 million Afro-descendants who are citizens of countries throughout this hemisphere.”

Robinson’s relationship with Maxine Waters began during the period when she was in the California State Assembly when she was a board member of TransAfrica. She authored legislation divesting California state pension funds from companies doing business with South Africa.

Robinson is also a close personal friend of ousted Haitian dictator Jean-Bertrand Aristide . When Aristide was ousted in 2004, Maxine Waters and Randall Robinson were both in the helicopter with him and on the tarmac when his plane arrived in South Africa.

Sidney Williams, husband of Rep. Maxine Waters, was the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas from 1994-1998 appointed by Bill Clinton. Many believe the only reason he got the job was because he is Waters husband. Prior to it he was a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Hollywood and an NFL football player. Information on his time and duties as Ambassador appears virtually non-existent on the interenet but a good outline of Bahamas foreign relations, which is significant with the U.S., can be found here.

Williams also sat on the board of directors of OneUnited Bank, which is the focus of the current ethics investigation on Waters because she and Barney Frank were allegedly responsible for TARP funds being directed to OneUnited.

Waters current CA-35 Republican opponent Bruce Brown says that there is “confirmation of Aristide accounts in OneUnited Bank going back to its predecessors” but he cites a Seattle Times article that refers to one of Aristides Generals having an account the Bank of Boston. However, the predecessor of OneUnited was Boston Bank of Commerce so Brown’s allegation needs further scrutiny.

Blogger JoAnneMor has excellent recent exhaustive research on Maxine Waters corruption regarding OneUnited and her ties to Haiti dictator Aristade which is definitely worth reading. She provides links to all of her research, including the portions of articles of which I’ve included at the bottom to give you some background on Aristide’s corruption. Basically he set up set up many shell companies in the US and all over the world to plunder his own country, the most significant one being used to rob Haiti’s telecom industry of its profits via a New Jersey company called IDT, where suits and corruption cases are now pending.

In an article from the socialist/communist Workers World magazine, Maxine Waters at a Wayne State University Law School Auditorium gave a keynote speech on April 8, 2004 called for the return of ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the Caribbean nation of Haiti saying “”Let me make it clear. I support President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the people of Haiti”.

Haiti has elections upcoming on November 28, 2010. Maxine Waters sent a letter to Sec. of State Clinton stating the U.S. should not provide funding for elections that do not “include all eligible political parties and ready access to voting for all Haitians, including the displaced.” Aristide is still active in Haiti politics and is head of the Laval movement that is excluded from the ballot. Waters also sent a similar letter in 2009 to Haiti’s President Preval, which, as JoAnneMor blog points out, may be in violation of the Logan Act which prevents unauthorized US citizen from conducting foreign relations without authority.

Waters introduced “Stop VULTURE Funds Act” (H.R. 2932) which would prevent vulture funds from making excessive profits off of debt cancellation of poor countries. In 2007 her comrade Danny Glover gave congressional testimony regarding vulture funds, and you can read more about TransAfrica’s campaign against it here where they say, in part: “Poor countries that are eligible for debt cancellation are especially vulnerable to Vulture Funds, as the companies often track the debt relief process and then sue a poor country after it has received a windfall of resources thanks to debt cancellation.”

Waters has also called for complete cancellation of all of Haiti’s debt when she introduced the “Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act of 2010” (H.R. 4573).

Additional sources regarding Aristide corruption:

Follow Aristide’s Money Offshore: How Haiti was looted with the help of tax haven shell companies & secret bank accounts and U.S. citizens & corporations By Lucy Komisar, Haiti Democracy Project, Nov 10, 2005

Aristide Embezzled $76 Million Financial Inquiry Central Unit (UCREF), anti-corruption agency, on Caribbean Media Corp., 2005-11-07 Haiti Democracy Project web page item #3311

Haiti Sues to Collect a Phone Bill Mary Anastasia O’Grady, Wall Street Journal, 2005-11-24

A Lingering Problem for IDT — CEO admits company official met with Aristide on contract – Former employee alleges bribe payment to Haiti’s Aristide; company denies allegation. By Lucy Komisar, Barron’s, Sept 20, 2010

Which is why I am saddened now at the prospect of denouncing my Catholicism.

Like many of you I’ve had an awakening about America’s heritage and what makes her great are the founding principles detailed in the Declaration of independence and in our Constitution.  I have been horrified as I’ve watched the Left’s mask peeled back revealing their agenda of redistribution of wealth and social justice, which simply cannot coexist with our founding principles that we are all given the equal chance to pursue happiness with no guarantee of equal outcome.

There has been much discussion recently on how socialistic ideology has invaded our religious institutions. I’ve learned to recognize code words used by the Left, so, after Mass this morning when I picked up a copy of the weekly bulletin, the message immediately raised a red flag with me.

My Pastor’s message discussed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops 2010 Labor Day Statement entitled A New “Social Contract” for Today’s “New Things” written by Most Reverend William F. Murphy, Bishop of Rockville Centre (Long Island, NY), and Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

Committee on Domestic Justice? Really?

The Bishop’s five page statement compares the challenges of todays workers with those faced by workers of the Industrial Revolution. In 1891, Pope Leo XII I extended legitimacy to unions and “insisted on a family wage that corresponded to the needs of the worker and family”. Today’s message describes how Pope Benedict XVI links three interrelated components of society: the market, the state, and civil society and in part reads:

“Economic life undoubtedly requires contracts, in order to regulate relations of exchange between goods of equivalent value. But it also needs just laws and forms of redistribution governed by politics, and what it is more, it needs works redolent of the spirit of gift”

(Emphasis added)

In other words, the Pope says governments must create laws to ensure workers are treated justly and, by the way, this includes instituting programs for the redistribution wealth in the name of charity.

Obviously, Pope Benedict does not understand nor appreciate the basis for American government, that which gives all citizens equal opportunity, not equal outcome, which has allowed America to export freedom all over the world and with it an advancement of civilization never before realized. If you’ve read the book “The 5000 Year Leap” then you know what I’m talking about.

Since The Pope obviously is not American it’s somewhat understandable that he does not see how the Catholic teachings of social justice cannot coincide with our laws that protect private property.  But Bishop Murphy, the author of the 2010 Labor Day statement, is an American (or at least he lives here if he is not) and therefore has a duty, in my opinion, to respect the fundamental laws of our land by not preaching policy so completely contrary to our form of government.

Sadly, the Catholic Church is an instrument for Socialism infected all the way up to His Holiness the Pope.  Because of that, I will find my faith elsewhere.

P.S. Imagine my disappointment while researching for this very paper, my discovery of another writing of the U.S. Catholic Bishops from 1986: “Catholic Social Teaching: Economic Justice for All” in which they state:

“We believe that we honor our history best by working for the day when all our sisters and brothers share adequately in the American dream.”

That statement is just wrong on so many levels I don’t even know where to begin. Isn’t this the same philosophy that gave us the Community Reinvestment Act?

On September 29, 1941 he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. During 1945 he was assigned to the 315th Bomb Wing, 501st Bomb Group, 485th Bomb Squadron, Crew #71 and stationed in Guam. He was the pilot of a B29 Bomber which he named ”Super Sue” in honor of his two-year-old daughter.

Many people believe that WWII ended with the dropping of the two A-Bombs on Hiroshima on August 6th and Nagasaki on August 9th but the Japanese did not immediately surrender after these attacks. In fact, there were Japanese rebels who wished to prolong the war and a Coup d’ Etat had been hatched by high ranking officers of the Imperial Army. Their objective was to kidnap Emperor Hirohito and confiscate his recordings in order to prevent him from issuing the surrender.

But, just as the coup attempt was begining in the late hours of August 14th, the last mission of WWII was being flown by Captain Robert Cotanch and the rest of the 315th Bomb Wing. They had departed Guam that afternoon en route to northern Japan.

The sight of the US Bombers caused Tokyo to issue a black out in anticipation of another atomic bombing. The incredible timing of the black out caused by the 315th Bomb Wing resulted in the failure of the conspirators to kidnap the Emporor. He went on to issue the surrender and the 315th went on to destroy Japan’s largest remaining oil refinery in Akita that night.

From the diary of Capt. Cotanch:

August 14, 1945

Although it looks like the end of the war – we’re scheduled to fly a mission tonight – hitting way up in Northern Honshu – distance of 3800 miles. Takeoff was at 1630, but at 1620 a report came that the war was over – looked like a “hollywood finish” – but no official word – and after waiting 20 minutes we took off. Trip up was uneventfull, but long – we dropped our bombs on the oil refinery near Akita at 0132 the morning of Aug 15, 1945.

August 15, 1945

Results were excellent – fires were everywhere – saw a few searchlights and when we hit the tremendous thermal from the smoke over the target the wings almost came off.

The trip back was equally uneventfull – finally go to Iwo Jima – and 17 hours after takeoff we landed at Guam – at 1000 am. An hour before we landed Pres. Truman spoke over the radio – stating the war had ended. Seemed strange as we still had to sweat making the base. Upon landing I spoke over Mutual Broadcasting System to the States – as it was the last B-29 mission to Japan – we were the last to drop bombs on the Empire – and the longest tactical mission. We also made a recording of the broadcast , which lasted about 5 minutes.

Finally in the sack after being up 33 hours – slept 2 hours – had dinner & back in the sack again. Went to Holy hour after dinner.

Of course, it’s clear Captain Cotanch had no idea just how significant his flight was that night. Not only did the 315th Bomb Wing fly the longest and most challenging B-29 mission of the war from Guam to Akita, Japan, but they also ensured the surrender of the Japanese Empire.

To the 315th Bomb Wing goes the credit of ending WWII.

P.S. An incredible video recently surfaced with amazing footage of troops celebrating 65 years ago in the streets of Honolulu the surrender by the Japanese on this day: http://vimeo.com/5645171